Abraham kimbbr



(No Model.)

A. KI MBER. MAIL POUCH DELIVERER.

No. 540,259. Patented June 4, 1895.

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UNITED STATES I rricn.

ABRAHAM KIMBER, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

MAIL-=POUCH DELIVERER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 540,259, dated June 4, 1895. Application filed June 2'7, 1894. Serial No. 515,821. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM KIMBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in M ail-Pouch Deliverers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to provide I an improved apparatus for delivering mailpouches from postal cars in motion and to deliver the pouch at the proper moment and with sufficient force to insure its safe deposit at a distance away from the railroad track to' prevent the pouch from being drawn under the wheels by the suction of the passing cars; and it consists in the particular construction and arrangement of apparatus, as will be,

hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

which are made a part hereof, and on which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts, Figure l is a detail in transverse sec tion through a postal car and the stationplatform and box thereon within which the pouch will be deposited and shows the de livering apparatus set in position preparatory to delivering the pouch. The dotted lines indicate the position of the delivering-platform immediately after the discharge of the pouch, and the latter is also shown in dotted lines at the moment of entering the receiving-box at the station. Fig. 2 is a detail in side elevation of a postal car and of the station-platform and receiving-box and shows the car broken away in parts to reveal themechanism of my improved delivering apparatus. The receiving-box is also broken away to reveal the parts that would otherwise be obscured. Fig. 3 is a detail in transverse section through a portion of the postal-car and the stationplatform and shows the parts of the pouch-delivering mechanism in the position afterthe car floor and to said floor or to the frame work or other substantial portion of said car and will consist essentially of end sections B and a bottom B connecting said end pieces. The front and back of said receptacle will preferably be open.

O is a movable platform resting upon the bottom of the receptacle and adapted to have lateral reciprocating movement, with relation to the longitudinal dimensions of the coach. Horizontal guides will be provided by which the movement of the platform in a horizontal plane, will be secured. In the drawings the platform is shown as made from a plate of boiler-iron and the edges of the plate are projected'into horizontal grooves d, in the ends B, but as other constructions of platform of equal efiicienoy could be made, it isnot my desire to limit this application to the form here shown and described.

The platform 0 will be provided with an inner vertical wall or side 0', thepurpose of which as is clearly shown in the drawings, is

to contact with the mail-pouch when the pouch is laid on the platform in the manner contemplated, and asshown in the drawings, and toforcibly eject the pouch by the sudden outward impulse of the platform. This impulse is given to the platform by means of one or more springs D, secured at one of their ends to the car, or to the sides of the receptacle B, or to any fixed and substantial support and having the other ends of the springs bearing against the vertical side of the movable platform in the manner as clearly shown in the drawings. Instead of a leaf spring as shown in the drawings, a spiral or other form of spring might be used with equal efficiency and I therefore do not wish to limit this invention to any particular construction in this respect.

E is a catch pivotally secured to the outtion by the action of gravitation as soon as the movable platform is properly placed; second, to extend below the coach a sufficient distance to contact with a device at the station arranged to swing the pivoted catch around out of engagement with the movable platform, thereby liberating the platform and causing the pouch to be discharged by the forward movement of said spring-actuated platform.

In order to set my apparatus ready for use it is necessary to force the platform and its vertical side, back against the springs with sufficient force to overcome the tension of said springs and this I accomplish by the following mechanism:

E is an eye integral with or secured to the vertical wall 0.

F is a cord secured to the eye and extended around the fixed pulley f and thence through the opening e into the inside of the coach and terminates in a ring G or other suitable device which will form a hand-hold and also act as a stop to prevent the withdrawalof the cord through the car-floor. ring the postal clerk will be able to pull the platform back with sufficient force to overcome the resistance of the springs and when in position, the platform will be held by thecatch E.

H is a trap door through the floor of the car, through which the mail-pouchwill be placed into position upon the platform as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

I is-a solid construction secured in a substantial manner alongside the railwaytrack at the station where it is desired to have the mail pouch discharged. Its purpose is to contact with the downwardly projected end 6, of the catch, and throw it around out of engagement with the platform, as described.

J, is a box arranged parallel with the track and so arranged with relation to the obstruction I, as to receive the mail-pouch when the pouch is discharged. With this end in view the box is provided with the longitudinal openingj, on the side next the track and near the top of the box. The box will preferably be shaped with a view to guiding the pouch downwardly so as to interpose the section j between the pouch and the rapidly moving train and form a shield of the part j to protect the pouch from the suction made by the passing cars.

To assist the postal clerk and make it easier By grasping this for him to overcome the tension of the springs in setting my delivering apparatus, I may employ a lever M which will be pivotally secured to a cross beam m, near the roof of the coach. This lever will be provided with a hook depending so as to be caught into the ring Gon the end of the cord F. By pulling down onthe opposite end of the lever the reciprocating platform may be set and the tension of the springs overcome.

N is a spring secured to the roof of the car and to the lever and is designed to hold the handle of the lever constantly in an elevated I what I claim as new, and wish to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is-

1. In a mail pouch deliverer, the combination, with a car, a platform secured to said car so as to have lateral movement with relation to the direction of the cars movement said platform having a vertical wall on the inner side thereof to engage the mail pouch, a spring to press the platform out and adapted to be compressed when the platform is forced in, of a pulley secured to the car floor, acord secured at one end to the platform and passing around said pulley and terminating in a ring above the car floor, a lever pivotally secured to the car at or near the roof, a rod secured to the end of the lever and terminating in a hook whereby the ring may be connected with the lever, all for the purpose described and specified.

2. The combination, with a postal car A of a lover M for setting a spring actuated platform C for delivering mail sacks, said lever having the rigid and hooked rod P pivotally secured to one of its ends, the hook O rigidly secured to the lever whereby the hooked rod may be retained in a folded position against the lever, and the spring N whereby the long arm of the lever is kept up out of the. way, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two winesses.

ABRAHAM KIMBER. Witnesses:

J OSEPH A. MINTURN, L. J. OoLLINs. 

